The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update | 2021
Study suggests ibudilast effective in reducing heavy drinking
Abstract
Few patients with alcohol use disorder using evidence-based medications Several approved medications for the treatment of alcohol use disorder have been available for many years, but there remains little information about how widely they are being used and who is using them. Researchers explored this question by studying data from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which for the first time in a nationally representative sample asked respondents receiving past-year alcohol treatment whether they used a medication (disulfiram, acamprosate, or oral or injectable naltrexone). Among the 14.1 million adults with past-year alcohol use disorder in 2019, only 7.3% reported receiving any treatment and only 1.6% reported using one of the approved medication treatments. Factors associated with receiving medication treatment as opposed to non-medication treatment included living in a large metropolitan area, visiting emergency rooms frequently, and receiving mental health treatment. The researchers suggested that this indicates medication treatment may be more likely with greater severity of alcohol use disorder. They wrote that “our results highlight the urgent need for improving access to and use of [medications for alcohol use disorder] among adults with [alcohol use disorder].” [Han B, et al. JAMA Psychiatry 2021; published online Jun 16; doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.1271]